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As with any change to the status quo, Horner saw a development battle stretching out from the start of the season in Australia on March 26 all the way to Abu Dhabi on November 26.

"What excites us most about 2017 is the opportunities that arise from these new regulations. It's going to be fascinating to see who's got it right and who's got it wrong," said the Briton, whose team were runners-up last year.

"You'll see big increments early on because the regulations are pretty immature. I think there is going to be low-hanging fruit early on to make sizeable steps.

"That's going to push every department in the whole team to try and outwit, out-smart, out-develop and out-produce our rivals. That's going to be a stellar challenge in F1 this year."

Red Bull will show off their new car on Sunday with testing starting in Barcelona next Monday.

Horner said former champions Red Bull were on schedule, proceeding like a swan while paddling frantically beneath the surface.